IWEP, Vietnam

The Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) is a governmental research institute within the National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities. Founded pursuant to the Vietnamese Prime Minister's decree No. 96/HDBT dated September 9, 1983, the Institute is one of the Vietnam's leading research centers which provides advice and recommendations for policy-making bodies of Communist Party and the government of Vietnam. The IWE has initiated a series of reform-minded recommendations and programs that embodied in Vietnam's strategies of socio-economic development since the initial period of Doimoi.

Functions

The IWEP's activities encompass the following activities :

• Conducting research and policy analyses. It attempts to anticipate the emerging issues and to be ready with practical ideas to inform and shape public debate. Its first and foremost audience is top-ranked policy makers, government officials and legislators in Vietnam;
• Conducting research on theories and models of economic development that help resolving current socio-economic problems of Vietnam;
• Conducting studies and analyses on the key issues of development policies and strategies of countries in the world and of Vietnam;
• Conducting research on institutional reforms in different countries in the world and in Vietnam;
• Assigned to involve directly in policy making of the government;
• Conducting research into international politics.

The aim of these research activities is to develop viable policy options for Vietnam's government in producing appropriate policies in light of domestic and international experience.

The IWEP is one of the think tanks, which is assigned to assist the Vietnamese government and the Communist Party of Vietnam in designing policies and strategies for development through socio-economic policy recommendations.

Studies of the IWEP have helped provide the intellectual foundation for reform initiatives of the past fifteen years of Doimoi in Vietnam. The areas in which the IWE has made it prestigious are globalization and the backlash to it, Vietnam's international economic policies, innovation of state roles, institutional and state administrative reforms in transition to the market-oriented economy, adjustment of macroeconomic policies etc. The institute has made important contributions to key policy decisions including the participation of Vietnam in international organizations such as AFTA, APEC, WTO, the reforms of state owned enterprises, trade liberalization, decentralization of decision making in foreign investment and etc.

The IWEP has also involved in advice and consultation activities for local governments and businesses of all sectors, in drawing development plans and business strategies, providing them with information on various aspects of changing economic situation.

The IWEP is a training organization that is authorized by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam. It has a function to provide training courses at postgraduate level.

Key Projects :

• "Strategy for curbing inflation in Vietnam (1987)", assigned by the Vietnamese government many initiatives and recommendations of the project were applied by the Vietnamese government in coping with situation of hyperinflation in Vietnam in the late 1980s.
• "Vietnam's Innovation and External Policy Reform", Joint Study Project of IWE and Institute of Developing Economies (Japan), 1995.
• "Vietnam's Industrial and Trade Policy", Joint Study Project of IWE and Institute of Developing Economies (Japan), 1997.
• "Technical Assistance Project for Vietnam to participate in AFTA", UNDP, VIE 95/015, Output 1.5 and 3.1, (1995-1998).
• "Vietnamese - Japanese Governments Joint Studies on Strategy of Vietnam's Economic and Government Administration Reform" (1996-1999). In this project, the IWE conducted a section of fiscal and Financial Policy Reform.
• "Vietnam's Policy Reform and Preparation to Participate in the WTO", Joint Study Project of Japan's External Trade Organization (JETRO) and IWE, 2000.
• "Foreign Direct Investment and Development of Manufacturing Industry", (2000-2001), in project "Vietnam Economic and Environment Management Program" financed by CIDA.
• "Survey on Enterprises with Foreign Direct Invested Capital" (1999-2001), funded by Vietnam's Ministry of Investment and Planning.
• "The Gap between Development and Economic Securities in Asian Countries" (2002/2004), funded by Ford Foundation.Co-operation Network

The IWE has close relations with policy-making authorities, including ministries, agencies, and legislative bodies of the government of Vietnam. Besides, the IWE has relations with many administrative organizations of provincial governments. The IWE has established a broad co-operation network with various research institutes, universities and organizations, both at home and abroad. Joint research projects and exchange programs of scientific activities are regularly implemented in co-operation with different partners in the world. The institute is a reliable venue for holding international forums and seminars. Government-level round-table conferences are hold regularly by the IWE in collaboration with many international partners.

Contacts

Dr. Bui Quang Tuan
Director
Department for Globalisation and
International Integration Studies
IWEP, Vietnam
Email: tuanbui_q_2000@yahoo.com

Mr. Bui Truong Giang
Executive Deputy Director
Center for International Security and
Strategic Studies (CISS)
IWEP, Vietnam
Email: gianghang@fpt.vn

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